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Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Boston, MA, January 7, 2014 – Iraq veteran Bryan Babcock
joined other veterans in Boston today calling for tougher regulations to curb
unscrupulous marketing practices used by for-profit education companies to
entice students – particularly veterans – into enrolling in their expensive
and, often, substandard programs. The veterans appeared at a public hearing
convened by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Testimony was also submitted on behalf of numerous veterans’
organizations, including the Air Force Women Officers Association, Association
of the United States Navy, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military
Officers Association of America, National Guard Association of the United
States, Student Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success, Veterans for
Common Sense, Veterans Student Loan Relief Fund, VetsFirst - a Program of
United Spinal Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, University of San Diego
School of Law Initiative to Protect Student Veterans, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty
Officers Association, and U.S. Coast Guard Enlisted Association.

For-profit education companies specifically target veterans,
since each one is eligible for tens of thousands of dollars in federal
education benefits and student loans, and because military benefits are not
counted towards a cap on federal funds that for-profit colleges otherwise face.

Babcock, from Bellevue, WA, flew across the country to
testify, and told his personal story of how he was misled. He served two tours
of duty in Iraq, including as Marine infantry during the second battle of
Fallujah. Planning to become a policeman, Babcock testified that he enrolled in
ITT’s $70,000-dollar bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice. But not one
of the nearly two dozen police departments he applied to recognized an ITT
degree. He was left heavily in debt and unable to pursue a career in law
enforcement. He felt he had no choice but to reenlist and return to Iraq – this
time as a National Guardsman.

“I wasted three years and more than $50,000 for a piece of
paper no one would accept,” Babcock said. “It sickens me that ITT Tech is
allowed to get away with this. And, I am not alone. Beyond misrepresenting
themselves, ITT Tech, and other companies like it, are offering degrees and
certificates that do not allow graduates to obtain licenses, certificates, or
other pre-requisites necessary for employment in fields that have such
requirements.”

Babcock sought and received financial assistance from the
Veterans’ Student Loan Relief Fund, a non-profit organization established by
World War II veteran and Wall Street businessman Jerome Kohlberg to help
veterans who believe they have been deceived by for-profit education companies.
He is one of 21 student veterans who have received grants from the fund.

Carrie Wofford, current President of Veterans for Education
Success, also testified on behalf of a dozen veterans organizations that tough
regulations are needed to protect veterans from aggressive and deceptive
recruiting by predatory education companies.

“Predatory for-profit colleges dishonor our nation’s
veterans, actively deceiving them to get access to their lucrative GI Bill
benefits.We should honor the men and
women who have sacrificed for our country, not rip them off.We applaud the Attorney General’s common
sense rules to stop deceptive marketing and recruiting by for-profit colleges,”
Wofford said.

Wofford is the former Senior Committee Counsel of the U.S.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which
conducted a two-year investigation into the for-profit higher education
industry, culminating in a highly critical report of the industry in 2012.The Senate investigation also unveiled
corporate documents, including ITT’s infamous “pain funnel” (attached).